Part two of ‘Refine Your Stance’ is here and this time Boards have caught up with the master Farrel O’Shea to find out his key points to going quick.

Check out part one with the 78 kg speed machine Steve Thorp here.

I always find the key to going quick is to be comfortable and not to force yourself into a stance or try to emulate someone else’s position.

Different equipment and personal style will affect your own sailing stance.

Firstly I concentrate on rigging correctly, to make the sail as stable as possible for the given wind strength…this is important in speed as often the best times are set whilst pushing the envelope of wind range for any given sail.

In lighter winds I have the boom at a medium height, as it help with early planing. When I get onto smaller sails and there is more wind I progressively lower the boom, whilst simultaneously lengthening the lines a little. This process has a few affects: more control (lower centre of gravity) and more fin pressure (allowing the use of a smaller fin and therefore less drag). The net result is driving the board flat and fast over distance.

This for sure is the new style adopted very successfully by the likes of Hans Kreisel and Anders Bringdal – each with their own version.

I’m not stacking the weight jacket full…in a fast place like Luderitz, it’s very difficult to sail with a lot of weight so I really rely more on good ole fashion technique.